Insert-plug lock



Oct. 3, 1933. O A CAUSEY 1,928,879

INSERT PLUG LOCK Original Filed Nov. 11, 1930 Kid .1

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ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 3, 1933 ,UNirEo STATES PATENT OFFICE INSERT-PLUG LOCK Otis A. Causey, Crows Landing, Calif.

Application November 11, 1930, Serial No. 494,909

Renewed February 20, 1933 1 Claim. (Cl. 70124) are sold by the oil companies to their customers,

especially on ranches and the like.

The ordinary plugs can be easily removed upon the application of a wrench, and owing to the exposed locations in which said drums are commonly placed the theft of their contents is somewhat common. v

The principal object of my invention is to avoid the unauthorized removal of the plugs and theconsequent theft of the contents of the drums by means of a plug of this general character which, while arranged so as to be inserted in or removed from place as easily as the plugs now employed, is provided with a lock structure which will positively prevent removal of the plug unless the proper key is first used to disengage the locking bolt.

A further object is to provide a double lock structure of such a nature that the primary keya controlled lock may be small and relatively delicate, as the somewhat intricate but efficient cylinder and pin type locks usually are; while the secondary lock which is controlled by the key lock may be as stout as may be needed to withstand the strains imposed thereon with any attempt to unscrew the plug, while the secondary lock bolt is in its operative position.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed. I

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved plug as in position in the drum socket and in its locked position. I

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the secondary lock retracted or disengaged.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the numeral 1 denotes a tanker drum provided with a depressed insert-plug retaining collar which comprises a lower or innertapped portion 2 and an upper or outer relatively large cup portion 3 which is secured about its rim to the drum.

The plug comprises a central body portion 4 threaded to engage the tapped portion 2; and

extension 5 below the threaded portion, and an l upper outwardly projecting flange 6 above said threaded portion, which flange is polygonal sided, so that it may be engaged by a wrench. The plug is provided with a'centrally disposed circular bore 7 which extendsdownwardly'into the extension 5 from the upper end, of the plug and in which a barrel-8 is turnably fitted. 'Adjacent but below its upper end the barrel is provided with anintegral outwardly projecting collar or flange 9 which seats in the correspondingly enlarged portion of the bore. This collar and consequently the barrel as a whole is held against removal from the bore by a ring 10 which is pressed into the enlarged bore portion about the barrel and above the collar, and is flush with the top of theplug and the barrel. This ring is arranged so as not to interfere with the freedom of turning of the barrel, but owing to the flush arrangement of the barrel ring and plug, it will be obvious that neither the ring nor the barrel can be removed from above with the use of any ordinary tools. Pressed into the barrel from its upper end is the cylinder 11 of a standard lock structure of the multiple pin tumbler type, in which the release or withdrawal of the radial lock bolt 12 is effected by the insertion of the proper key into the cylinder and the consequent rotation of said key. The bolt projects laterally from the cylinder below the collar and through the adjacent sidewall of the barrel, being adapted at its outer end to seat in either one of the diametrically opposed recesses or sockets 13 cut in the plug from the bore of the barrel.

Extending radially of and slidably mounted in the plug extension, below the threaded portion is a lock bolt 14, having an enlarged head 15 on-its inner end, and a spring 16 bearing against said head to force the bolt inwardly of the plug or so that its outer end is retraced inwardly of the line of the threads.

The portion of the barrel which lies in the horizontal plane of the bolt 14 is in the form of a cam or eccentric 17 of oval cross-section, as shown in Fig. 3. One side of this cam is flush with the corresponding side of the barrel, but its opposite side is substantially in line with the central axis of the barrel. The bolt is so arranged that when the barrel is turned so that the outer or flush side of the cam bears against the head of the bolt, the latter is projected outwardly of the plug some distance or so as to engage the adjacent end of the collar 2 if an attempt is made to unscrew the plug. The primary lock bolt 12 then registers with one of the sockets 13.

To aid in initially locating the cam relative to the bolt 14 when the latter is in its advance position, and before the bolt 12 is allowed to project into its socket; the bolt engaging 'face of the cam is recessed somewhat as at 18, so as to provide a seat for the correspondingly shaped head of the bolt 14. When the barrel is turned through an arc of 180 degrees from this pc'asition,v

or so that the opposite or offset face of the cam is pressed against the head 15 "of the bolt, "said bolt will be then completely retracted relative to the threaded portion of the plug and socket so as to offer no interference with the unscrewing of the plug.

In operation to unloclr the plug, or in other words to retract the bolt 14 so that the plug may beunscrewed the proper key is inserted' in the cylinder -11 and turned in the direction necessary'to retract thebolt 12 frorh its socket. A further'rotation of the key after said bolt has been thus retracted then turns the lock cylinder and barrel as a unit, reversing the position of the cam. With such reversing the bo1t 14 is automatically retracted, since-the spring -16"is always acting on said bolt to draw the same inwardly. The plug may then beremov'ed as usual by the application of a wrench.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claim.

I Having thus described my invention what I -claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

An insert plug for a tank-opening collar comprising a hollow body to fit in said collar and having an extension ,to project inwardly of the collar when the plug is in place, a spring retracted lock bolt mounted in and movable radially of the "extension to project under the collar, a barrel turnably mounted in the body and exposed to the top of the same, a cam on the lower end of the barrel disposed in eccentric relation to the axis thereof, and arranged to engage the inner end of the bolt and move the same outwardly when the barrel is turned, and lock means for the barrel to maintain the cam in a bolt advancing position, the cam being provided with -a depression in its bolt advancing face to removably receive the inner-end of the bolt, whereby to yieldingly resist turning of the cam from a bolt advancing position. 7

OTIS A. CAUSEY. 

